Fastening strap and buckle

ABSTRACT

A RUBBERLIKE SWIM FIN OR FACE MASK HAS INTEGRAL BUCKLES FORMED THEREON AND A RUBBER LIKE RIDGES STRAP HAS OPPOSITE RIDGED ENDS THREADED THROUGH THE BUCKLES SO THAT THE RIDGES MAKE LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BUCKLES AND WITH EACH OTHER.

Sept. 21, 1971 M. SCHULER 3, 0

' FASTENING STRAP AND BUCKLE Filed Oct. 8, 1969 FIG.I

INVENTOR MANFRED SC ULER ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 24-16PB 2Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rubberlike swim fin or face mask hasintegral buckles formed thereon and a rubber like ridged strap hasopposite ridged ends threaded through the buckles so that the ridgesmake locking engagement with the buckles and with each other.

This invention relates to improved strap and buckle fastening means forarticles of wear such as swim fins and face masks constructed frommolded resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber orplastic.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved strap andbuckle fastening means for articles such as swim fins and face maskswhich is low cost, adjustable, self locking, and which requires noseparate components such as wire buckles, snap fasteners, or the like.

Briefly, in the invention the buckles are integrally formed from thearticle material and the strap is ridged and threaded through thebuckles to make locking engagement with the buckles and itself.

The invention may be best understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying single sheet ofpatent drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention as embodied in a swim facemask; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the buckle area ofthe face mask.

The drawing illustrates a swim face mask having a main or body portionhaving a glass or other suitable transparent material front window 11.The mask is constructed from resilient like material such as natural orsynthetic rubber or plastic in a manner which is well known in the art.Opposite sides of the mask have integral buckles 12 formed thereon. Thebuckles 12 comprises two cross bars 13 and 14 which are spaced from themask body 10 by a pair of end notches 15 and 16 and from each other by acentral notch 17. The cross bars 13 and 14 are connected to each otherand the mask body 10 by two end pieces 18.

Opposite ends of a strap 19 has transverse spaced ridges 20 formedthereon. The strap is constructed from a material similar to that of theface mask. Its opposite ends are threaded through the buckles 12 in themanner illustrated in FIG. 1 and then drawn up tight as shown in FIG. 2.Briefly, the strap is threaded beneath bars 13 and 14 through the endnotches 15 and 16 and then turned over on itself and then threaded overbar 14 by inserting it through center notch 17 and beneath bar 15 andthen out through end notch 15. In this position of the parts the ridges20 make locking engagement with the cross bar 14 and with each otherbeneath the cross bar 13 so that the face mask is securely fastened tothe face of the wearer.

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The depth of the notch 15, that is, the spacial distance of the crossbar 13 from the mask body 10 is just sufficient to receive the doublethickness of the strap when the ridges of one layer of the strap arenested in the spaces of the other layer. This situation is shown in FIG.2. In other words, the end notch 15 closely receives the double layer ofstrap so that the ridges are interlocked. At the front or right hand endof the buckle the spacing between cross bar 14 and the mask body 10 issmaller still. Thus, in threading the strap through the buckle its tiphas to be grasped with the fingernails to pull it through the notch 16.Then in threading its tip back through notch 15 this is bestaccomplished by inserting the strap tip part way into the notch 15 andthen pulling back in a left hand direction on the strap which will carrythe tip along with it through the notch 15.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. An article of manufacture including a fastening strap and buckle forconnecting the article to a part of the users body, said article beingconstructed from a molded rubber like material, said buckle beingintegrally formed on said article from said material and including twocross bars spaced from the body of said article and from each other bytwo end notches and a center notch, said strap being constructed from amaterial similar to said article material, an end of said strap beingthreaded between said cross bars and said article through said two endnotches and then turned over on itself and threaded over one of saidcross bars and through said center notch to underlie the other crossbar, said threaded strap end having a plurality of spaced flat crestedtransverse ridges formed thereon, said ridges being sized and spacedsuch that when the strap is turned over on itself the tops of the ridgesare flush with the bottoms of the spaces therebetween and said othercross bar being spaced from the article a predetermined distance suchthat when the strap is threaded through the buckle and back on itselfthe two layers of the strap are closely held between the article andsaid other cross bar.

2. In a fastening strap and buckle as in claim 1, wherein said articlehas a pair of said buckles, one disposed on each of the opposite sidesthereof, and each of the opposite ends of said strap have said ridgesformed thereon and are threaded through said pair of buckles to retainsaid article in place on a part of the body of a user of said article.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,430,881 11/1947 Lehmberg 2l4D2,979,728 4/1961 Amundsen 2-14D 3,112,496 12/1963 Dritz 2417AX 3,365,754l/l968 Geisinger 24-l6PB DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl.X.R. 2-l4D

